Work calls on train

[Lifesucks2024]

I'm tired and crabby this morning so I might be being unreasonable but I'm frustrated by someone on a loud work call at 6.37am on the train I'm on. AIBU to think she should go in the vestibule or wait until a more normal time to make her work call?

I think it's the pressure everyone feels to be working during travelling time because there's too much to do and not enough staff in a lot of places to get it all done on time. It's not in to be really loud though, or discuss confidential information.

The worst are men in busy coffee shops, who hog tables for ages and give you dirty looks for being noisy in their 'office'

We're in the trauma clinic at hospital, DP nearly chopped his arm off, there's a man here that had come with his brother, his girlfriend and their child for the brothers appointment. Turns out the brother is in the wrong place so they've gone. But he's stayed here to continue his phone call. Has also been bragging that he got asked to leave multiple waiting areas the other day becuase he was causing too much of a disturbance whenever they tried to put him out the way.

Some people really do just treat the world as their living room.

Sit next to them and sing “It’s a Small World” out of tune on repeat while rocking happily to yourself. They will fuck off into another carriage.

I feel your pain, OP. I'm not a violent woman, but I dream of owning a taser, so that I could taser any gobby idiot on my train/a cafe etc. I'd also deploy it on people with big backpacks on, as I get whacked round the face/body several times for each part of my commute. Don't even get me started on the people that don't take the backpack off their back when getting on a very crowded and boiling hot tube train.

Commuting, the gift that keeps on giving 🙄

This is so intrusive. I hate anyone talking on the phone on trains longer than just to give a quick message. I also hate people who don’t wear er phones and we all have to listen to whatever they watch or listen to on their phones. It’s often try to give “the look”, but they are always oblivious. It’s as if they were raised by a pack of dogs!

I was on a busy commuter train a few years ago and the entire carriage was ‘entertained’ by a 30 something man telling his mate loudly on the phone that he was running out of excuses not to ‘shag’ her because ‘she’s gagging for it’ but he still hadn’t got his test results back from he clinic as he’s sure the last one gave him an infection.

What a lucky lady she must be - he’s a proper charmer

This reminds me of the train journey in which I sat and listened to a competitors rather loud internal call about a bid on a contract my company was also bidding on. Including the areas they planned to cut a few corners on to maximise profit.

Found the info very useful

I don't think enough people think about who can hear what on trains etc.

I was once on a train and someone was giving someone in their team an official verbal warning....

The quiet carriage on my line is nearly always observed, it's bliss! I get through lots of work while travelling (very quietly and unobtrusively!) and find it so productive.

On the odd occasion there is someone on their phone, I'm always the unapologetic, grumpy old woman raising my head and reminding them not to (please) use their phone in the carriage. 99% of times it's a man. All the other passengers do the quiet British nod to show they're glad someone removed the obnoxious idiot.

And YES to the PP who mentioned Bob Mortimer train guy... so bloody funny and painfully accurate!

I hate anyone talking on a commuter train full stop - it's my quiet time before the chaos ensues. I must admit that they're not quite as bad as people not using headphones, but only just.

I too have been amazed at work conversations people have in public. It can be quite interesting, but often it's just annoying. I've also seen people reading or writing confidential documents.

I did once listen to a student-age young man read out all his card details over the phone - and then repeat them to make sure it was correct. If I had nefarious intent, I'd have loved him for that.

It's weird though. In my last office, we were encouraged to think about how private a call should be, and there were plenty of (claustrophobic) little booths to give privacy in an open-plan office (and to stop annoying everyone else - there were a couple of people where you wondered why they bothered with the phone as probably everyone in southern England could hear anyway...)

But it seems once you step outside the office with members of the public and possibly competitors, then there are no worries.

I was coming back on the airport bus and a guy was 'ya ya'ing the whole 40 minutes and was so loud. He didn't pick up on the passive aggressive remarks we were making but he gave me a headache. It actually sounded like an interview which was even more ludicrous. I wish I was braver and able to speak my mind more. I am sometimes but I didn't think it was gonna last so long! Yanbu!

It's annoying, but ultimately it's a public space.

If you don't want to put up with other people, drive.

Lifesucks2024, put music on your phone. Loud.

Which really is a bit of twatty attitude. Yes it's a public space but most people understand that there are certain social protocols that need to be observed if we are all to rub along. Playing loud music, eating a smelly kebab, using the seat next to you for your bags when others a standing and yes, having a shouty work call in close proximity of others is considered antisocial and inconsiderate.

I did this once. It was fun.

I once heard about a bloke who was so indiscreet that one of the other passengers overheard enough to phone him up, pretend to be the PA of the person he was meeting, and tell him that the meeting had been postponed by an hour.

Oh to be a fly on the wall.

This is GENIUS. Brava!

Last year we were on a train coming back from Manchester Airport the city centre and there was a divorce lawyer on the train very loudly talking to her client about every detail of her acrimonious divorce case. Huge sums of money, business investments, whether it was possible to prove who had an affair, the lot. It was around 6 or 7am and I don't think there could have been more than about six people in the carriage, plus the lawyer was talking at top volume so it was impossible not to hear every detail.

In the unlikely event that anyone here uses a very loud South African lawyer for their divorce proceedings, just be aware that she's about as discreet as a foghorn, is my advice.

I think sometimes people don’t realise how loud they are. I once had to call my mum from the train, she was at my house to take my cat to the vet while I was at work. I said, ‘I forgot to tell you where the money is,’ and a man right down the carriage called, ‘Oh, tell us all!’

I hadn’t realised my voice carried so much. I’ve been more careful since then.

I did once listen to a student-age young man read out all his card details over the phone - and then repeat them to make sure it was correct. If I had nefarious intent, I'd have loved him for that

Yes, I've heard someone doing this too. Incredible.

My next door neighbour does this! He works for the police, isn't allowed to tell us what his job actually is, but walks around his garden, talking loudly on the phone about things happening at work- he mentions names and everything! I'm sure he thinks nobody can hear him because there's fences between us!

I don't disagree that these things are annoying and anti-social, but if you are in a public space other people talking etc comes with the territory.

And if you're in public space being considerate of the other people using it comes with the territory as well. At least, it does for some people.